


Paying Taxes

by Lackyducks



Series: reckoning verse [2]
Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Abuse of Authority, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Etho Has A Bad Time, Gen, Magic, Mind Control, Someone Get The Mayor Please, Threats, magical amnesia, season seven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:47:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26422876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lackyducks/pseuds/Lackyducks
Summary: Etho learns how far the mayor is willing to go to uphold his authority. It's a pity he won't remember any of it.
Series: reckoning verse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1920616
Comments: 12
Kudos: 58





	Paying Taxes

**Author's Note:**

> i posted this on tumblr a little while ago, but have gotten around to posting it here! someone sent me an ask asking if i'd seen [this conversation.](https://lynnxs-lab.tumblr.com/post/628663604752908288/spotted-this-on-joes-stream-tonight) turns out i certainly had thoughts about it! this still leaves the au fairly ambiguous, but i couldn't resist a bit more angst.

“Etho.” Etho turns at the sound of Scar’s voice, his thumbs resting in his pockets. He tilts his head in greeting, a smile hidden behind his mask.

“Hey Scar.” Scar is leaning against the diamond throne. It sparkles around him, reflecting onto his purple suit. It’s only a stage above Etho’s own base decoration, really. He’s never been quite as attached to the shiny rocks as the other hermits. “Fancy finding you here. In the town hall.”

“Fancy that indeed.” Scar folds his arms, regarding Etho without an expression. Etho’s heard the guy’s been a bit _off_ lately. He’s not spent much time around the hermit to really tell. What, with attempting to evade taxes and all. Fair game is fair game, in his opinion. He’s doing nothing illegal. “Are you here to finally pay up?”

“Hey-” Etho shrugs, “-I’ve paid my taxes.” He’s just finished paying for his grounded stores, at least. He holds a hand out to the boards before tucking it back away. Scar’s stare is scrutinising. Etho meets it square on.

“Etho, come here.” Scar’s voice drops. Etho steps back.

“Hey, if there’s any taxes you think I should’ve paid, why don’t you get your enforcer to deal with that? My blocks are all in those frames.” He’s heard about Wels taking that role. Most of the hermits have paid anyway, the pushovers. But he’s heard of some… Interesting things. Even so, he thinks he’d prefer whatever Wels is doing to the coldness coming from Scar right now.

“I think I’d rather deal with you personally.” Scar steps around the side to the ladder, wiggling Etho to the front of the throne with a finger. “ _Come here_ , Etho.”

Etho’s not sure what shifts around him. The air turns more frigid than inside his ice shop, weighing on his body and squeezing tight. What makes his heart skip a beat is how he moves, walking in front of the throne just as Scar plops down on it. Etho looks up, trying to understand why his body has completely disconnected from his control. Scar’s expression is that of an accomplished smile.

“Scar, what-”

“You’ve been a thorn in my side for quite some time now, you know?” Scar leans forward. He looks at home on the throne. The way he sits on the diamonds is like they were made for him.

“If you had a problem you could’ve just talked to me.” Etho keeps his voice calm but there’s an edge even he can’t get rid of. “I’m just goofing around, dude. I don’t want to upset you.” Scar shrugs and it’s then that Etho notices the glow to his eyes, the same glistening blue as the throne.

“I’m talking right now, am I not?” Etho can’t even get a twitch out of his fingers. His body feels numb. It’s as if he doesn’t quite fit into it.

“This is a pretty extreme way of talking.” Etho’s no fool, and the deep chuckle Scar lets out screams ‘run’.

“Oh, Etho.” Scar shakes his head, the laugh dying down. “Believe me, you’re getting off lightly.” Scar has a funny idea of _lightly._ Etho’s sweating. Something in his memory helpfully supplies 'the jungle’ and Etho thinks of Bdubs and- does he know about this? “For all the trouble you’ve caused me, your fraudulent ways, touching my throne-” His voice drops dangerously low, “-I should be doing a lot worse than this.”

“Oh man, so what is this then?” Each word feels forced as he struggles through the sentence. He’s gotta keep his cool. This shouldn’t scare him.

“A warning,” Scar answers, short and sweet. He rests against the back of the throne, perching his elbow on the arm. “The shopping district is mine to control and I’m not letting you get in the way of that. Your tricks are undermining my authority as the mayor. I refuse to let that happen any longer.”

“Scar, you’re going way too far, dude.” Etho gets the feeling this stopped being for fun long ago. How has Xisuma not picked up on it?

“You know, it’s funny-” Scar smiles, “-Wels said the same thing.” If Etho could move, he’d be gone.

“What did you do to him?” Scar waves his hand dismissively.

“He’s merely been subdued. I gave him a fancy new job, in fact! I’m not an unkind mayor, after all.” Scar shrugs one shoulder. “And if I tell him he has to go after you, well. That would be between us, wouldn’t it?”

“This is-” he drops off, not sure how to end the sentence. Insane, terrifying, way too far? He’s got options!

“Great, I know!” Scar smiles at his own answer. Even that looks sinister, blue eyes outshining any joy. “I can finally bring things under my power, just how they should be.”

“So you’re controlling Wels, have strange magic abilities, and you’re trying to take over the shopping district,” Etho lists off, trying to catch himself up. “Anything else I’m missing?”

Scar hums, then shakes his head, “No, I think that’s all you need to know.” His head tilts. “I mean, not that you’ll be remembering any of this, anyway.” Etho’s heart stops for a second time, lodging itself in his throat.

“What?”

“You think I’d just monologue my plans and then let you go?” Scar laughs, shaking his head like it’s a bad joke. “Please, you’re intelligent one second and completely contradict it the next.” Etho isn’t going to take that personally from the power-hungry guy sat on a throne of diamond. There are better people to be insulted by.

“Nice, so you have an ego too?”

The pain in Etho’s chest is like nothing he’s ever felt before. Against the unfeeling cold of his body, it _burns_ , feels like a sword stabbed through his ribs. He doesn’t know how else to describe it. He chokes on his breath, coughing as he forces air back into his aching lungs.

“Maybe you should consider your own ego, first.” There’s not a hint of inflection in Scar’s voice. Etho looks up at him with tears in his eyes. “I think I’ve said my piece.”

“Woohoo.” Etho bites down his pained cry. He was ready for that one.

“ _Go home and sleep, Etho. When you wake up, this will all have been a bad dream._ ” Etho opens his mouth to protest, but the air presses down on him.

His vision falls into a blinding blue.

* * *

He sits up in bed with a start. He glances around his base, realising how hot the air feels against his skin. He’s freezing, despite the sun shining through the room. Outside he can hear birds sing and the rustling of tall trees in the wind. He stands carefully, his legs barely feeling like they’re there at all.

What was he doing last? Looking at his bed, he doesn’t remember coming back last night. He presses his eyes shut, pulling his mask down to breathe easier. He thinks he dreamed about the shopping district. He can’t place what exactly. Only the fear that grips his heart at the thought, and a blue so bright it hurts his eyes. He has one hell of a headache forming. Maybe taking it easy is best for today. Until he’s shaken off whatever this is.

He thinks he’ll avoid the shopping district for a while.

**Author's Note:**

> i still need to work on my etho voice, but i think this is a solid start. my hc tumblr is [here](https://justletmeplayminecraft.tumblr.com/)! feel free to send me asks or requests or whatever. i am down to clown.


End file.
